What is the US Open playoff format and rules?

There's a good chance the US Open goes to a playoff for the 34th time in 2018, and that means the year's second major will see a new playoff format for the first time.

The US Open playoff format isn't sudden death. Rather, it's a new two-hole aggregate-score playoff, meaning that the competitors will play immediately after regulation ends on Sunday in search of the US Open trophy. If any players in the playoff are tied after two holes, they go to sudden death to determine a winner.

Previously, the US Open playoff format was an 18-hole stroke-play contest. The last time the US Open went to an 18-hole playoff was 2008, when Tiger Woods beat Rocco Mediate on the 19th hole after the pair finished the 18-hole playoff tied. Before that, in 2001, Retief Goosen beat Mark Brooks in a playoff at Southern Hills in Oklahoma. In the history the US Open playoff, there have never been more than three players in the playoff.

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